Stenographic machine



Oct. 30, 1928. 1,689,283

M. GRANDJEAN STENOGRAPHIG MACHINE Filed Feb. 1a, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 1 u .n .4%. NN

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7% @mn eN T012 3f'. WM g? v M. GRANDJEAN STENOGRAPHIC MACHINE Oct. 30, 1928;

Filed Feb. 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y example an embodiment of the invention as Patented oa. 3o, 192s.

UNITED STAT-as PATENT o1-Fica me examinant, or rams, FRANCE, Assrenon 'ro socrnrn ANQNYME srENorYrn GBANDJEAN, or raars, FRANCE.

STENOGBAPHIC MACHINE.

Application illed February 18, 1927, Serial No. 169,380, and vin France March 16, 1926.

The present invention has for its object improvements in stenographie machines with a view of simplifying the constructlon and lthe assembling, and of simultaneously regulating the force of the stroke in all the keys, and of deadening the noise which they produce.

For this purpose, all ,of the key levers are pivoted, at the end opposite the one carrying the key, to an axle which passes through an assembled set of thin blades properly spaced apart and forming in pairs suitable recesses in which these ends of the levers are guided in a regular manner. i i

The aggregate of the said guiding plates forms a device which may be readily and economically constructed and which offers a great precision. The guiding device is advantageous in many respects as compared with the comb-shaped elements which have hitherto been employed to guide the key levers.` A

The said key levers are returned to the inoperative p osition by springs which are mounted on a common pivoting element which is provided with an abutment for the levers; said abutment, which limits the upward stroke of the levers, consists of a cylinder of wood or other non-metallic substance which is covered with a suitably striated rubber sheath.

The appended drawings show by way of a lied to a ke board'for training purposes. pFig. 1 is a side elevation of the keyboard,

with certain parts in section.

Fig. 2 is a. plan view, with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fi 2. Y

'ghe said training keyboard comprises, like the regular keyboard, 21 keys 1 mounted upon the levers 2 which are disposed fanwise and are pivoted to an axle 3 extending through a sultable guiding device which 1s disposed at the rear of the keyboard.

The said device com rises two angle braek y ets 4 which are held. y four screwthreaded rods 5 and 5", 6 and 6l and by nuts, and also two sets of spacing pieces between which are disposed the strips or blades 9 which may consist of hoop iron and form` partltions. The spacing ieces 7 and 8 have a thickness which very s ightly exceeds that of the levers 2, so as to maintainsuitable spaces be- `bar 12a mounted on the rod 6, it

vice a strap 10, consisting for examp e of pressed wrought iron, which can be pivotally mounted on the rod A5 since it is pierced with the slots; 11 for the insertion of the rod 5.

'lhe strap 10 is braced at the front part, on the side next the keyboard, by a cast iron cross-piece 12 pierced with apertures for the insertion of the springs 13 which are engaged in the recesses formed between the strips 9 and which bear upon the'key levers in such'manner as to hold them in the raised position. The outer ends of the springs are bent at right angles and are di osed in a set of parallel grooves which are grmed by the casting process, together with the cross-piece 12; these ends are held in the grooves by the which is screwed to the cross-piece 12. This method'of assembling by screws is advantageous from the fact that a single spring may be replaced without interfering with the others.

The outer ends of the latter are connected together by a sheet metal cylinder 14.- which is covered by a rubber sheath whose surface is striated. The cylinder 14: when thus covered will form an abutment for the levers ber 10 and the members disposed thereon, so,

as to adjust in the first place the pressure of the sprin s 13 upon the levers and hence the force of e stroke, and then the stroke of the lsaid levers, and these two operations can be carried out at the same time. p t

The lower abutment for the levers consistsof an axle 16 of steel or the like which is covered by a sheath of smooth rubber 17 the said abutment is disposed on a member 18 analogous tothe member 10 and 'is pivotally being provided for this purpose with slots 19 by which it is engaged upon the rod 6, and I can thus easily regulate the stroke of the levers in the down-h 4ward direction when the keys are pressed.

The keyboard thus formed is contained in a case 20 and is secured thereto by a plate 21 .mounted on the angle brackets 4.'

The said keyboard possesses numerous advantages over those in current use upon stenolll) graphic machines. Due to the guiding device for the levers as thus constructed, I dispense with the combs-usually four in number-which are employed in the machines to guide the levers at the top and bottom, and at several points upon their length, this arrange- Y ment being diicult to assemble and adjust.

With the use of such combs as guides, the combs must be adjusted tooth by tooth to provide for the free motion of the levers without friction, but in my said guiding device no such adjustment is necessary, and the pieces may be manufactured in standard types.

The force of the stroke is adjusted at the same time for all the levers, due to the mounting of all the springs upon the cross-piece 12 of the member 10; the springs are all made of the proper length, and consist for instance of piano wire, and if they are given the proper shape by means of al special tool outlit, the proper force of the stroke in a given keyboard can be obtained in a single operation by raising or lowering the cross-pieee 12.

By employing for the upper abutment for the levers, a wood or like cylinder 14 covered with a rubber sheath 15, I ani enabled to obviate all noise, inasmuch as the ascending lever will meet only with a relatively elastic portion, and since the vibration passes through various non-metallic substances, vit will be reduced and not increased. For this reason, the noise is wholly or partially eliminated.

As above stated, the upward and downward stroke of the levers is regulated-iii a very simple manner by the pivoting of the respective members 1() and 18 in either direction.

Obviously, the said invention is not limited to the form of construct-ion. abovespecied by way of example, and it is susceptible of all modifications in the form, disposition and assembling of the several parts. r

For example, the lower abutment for the levers may have the same construction as the upper abutment.

It is evident that the said improvements are applicable to keyboards for actual stenographic machines as well as to those of training machines, it being understood that the key levers will be properly connected with the type levers, and that the other parts of the machine such as the striking roller, the winding device and the like will be properly dis posed.

In the case of astenographic machine, the lower abutment for the levers will become useless, and it may be dispensed with, since the downward stroke of the levers is limited by the contact between the type pieces and the striking cylinder, and by the limited play of the pivots of thekey levers and the type levers.

Having thus described my apparatus,

2. In' a stenographic machine, the co/inbi-b nation of key levers, axles having the said levers pivotally mounted thereon means fon guiding the said levers in the vicinity of the said axles, said means comprising strips forming long walls between which the said key levers are engaged, and spacing members between said strips for properly spacing the latter, the spacing of the said strips slightly exceeding the spacing of the said' levers, two angle brackets between which are disposed in a single device the said strips and spacing members, and screwthrea'ded rods extending through the said strips and spacing members whereby the latter will be suitably maintained in the assembled position.

3. In a stenograpliic machine, the combination of key levers, axles having the said levers pivotally mounted thereon, means for yguiding the said levers in the vicinity of the said axles, said means comprising strips forming long walls between which the said key leversareengaged, and spacing members between the said strips for properly spacing the latter, the spacing of the ysaid strips slightly exceeding the spacing of the said levers, two angle brackets between which are disposed in a single device the said strips and spacing members, screwtlireaded rods extending through the said strips and spacing members whereby the latter will be suitably maintained in the assembled position, two members pivoting on either side of the said levers, and an abutment provided on each of the said members and serving to limit the stroke of said. levers in the upward and downward directions. l,

4. In a stenographic machine, tliecombination of key levers, axles having the said levers pivotally mounted thereon, means for guiding the said levers in the vicinity of the said axles, said means comprising strips forming longfwalls between 'which the said j.

key levers are engaged, and spacin members between the said sti-ips for proper y spacing the latter, the spacing of thesaid strips slightly exceeding the spacing of/the said levers, two 'angle brackets between which are disposed in a single device the said strips and -I spacing members, serewthreaded rods extending throughthe said strips and spacing members whereby the latter will be suitably maintained in the assembled position, two

members pivoting on either side of the said levers, an abutment provided on each side of the said members and serving t0 limit the stroke of the said levers in the upward and downward directions, said abutment consist- .guiding the said levers in the vicinity of the sa1d axles, sa1d means comprising strlps forming long walls between which the sa1d key levers are engaged, and spacing members between the said strips for properly spacing the latter, the spacing of the said strips slightly exceeding the spacing of the said levers, two angle brackets between which are disposed in a single device the said strips and spacing members, screwthreaded rods extending through the said strips and spacin members whereby the latter will be suitabIy maintained in the assembled position, two members pivoting on either side of the said levers, 'an abutment provided on each of the said members and serving to limit the stroke of said levers in the upward and downward directions, and reaction springs controlling the said levers, the member supporting the said abutment being adapted to carry all the -springs of the said levers.

6. In a stenographic machine, the combination of keys levers, axles having the said levers pivotally mounted thereon, means for guiding the sa1d levers in the vicinity of the said ax es, said means comprising strips forming long walls between which the said key levers are engaged, and spacing members between the said strips .for properl spacing the latter, the spacing of the said strips slightly exceedin the spacing of the said levers, two angle rackets between which are disposed in a single device the said strips and spacing members, screwthreaded rods extending through the said strips and spacing members whereb the latter will be suitably maintained in the assembled position, two members pivoting on either side of the said levers, an abutment provided on each of the said members and serving to limit the stroke of said levers in the upward and downward directions, reaction springs controlling` the said levers abutment being adap-ted to carry all the springs of the said levers, the said member being apertured at the ends, and the ends of said s rings being adapted for insertion throug the apertures, grooves formed in the said member, the ends of said springs being bent at right anglles and engaged 1n the said grooves, the ot er ends of the said the member supporting the said springs being in contact with the 'said levers.

7. In a stenographic machine, the combination of key levers, axles having the said levers pivota ly mounted thereon, means for guiding the said levers in the vicinity of the said axles, said means comprising strips forming long walls between which the said key levers are engaged, and spacing members between the said strips for properly spacing the latter, the spacing of the said strips slightly'exceeding the spacing of the said levers, two angle brackets between which are disposed in a single device the said strips and spacing members, screwthreaded rods extending through the said strips and spacing members whereby the latter will be suitably maintained in the assembled position, two members pivoting on either side of the said levers, an abutment provided on each of the said members and serving to limit the stroke of said levers in the upward and downward directions, reaction springs controlling the said levers, the member supporting the said upward abutment having a bar adapted to carry all the springs of the said levers, the said bar bein provided with apertures, and the ends o said springs belng inserted in said apertures, grooves formed in the said bar, the ends of said springs being bent at right angles and engaged in the said grooves, the other ends of the said springs being in contact with the said levers, and a bar which is mounted on the said member and serves to maintain in the said grooves the front ends of said s rings.

8. In a stenograp ic machine, the combination of key levers, axles having the said levers pivota ly mounted thereon, means for guiding the said levers in the vicinity of the said axles, said means comp-rising stri s forming long walls between which the sa1d key levers are' engaged, and spacing members between the said strips for properly spacing the latter, the spacing ofthe said strips slightly exceeding the spacin of the said levers, two angle brackets etween which are disposed in a single device the said strips and spacing members, screwthreaded rods extending through-the said strips and spacing members whereby the latter will be suitably maintained in the assembled posi- 'tion, two members pivoting on either side of the said levers, an abutment provided on each of the said members and serving to limit the stroke of vsaid levers in the upward and' downward directions, reaction springs controlling the said levers, the member support- MARC GRANDJ EAN.

levers, the point said springs upon the said levers 

